Birthers: Latest crop of conspiracy theorists

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A man grabs a stack of postcards to be sent to the governor of Hawaii to request that Barack Obama's birth certificate be released to the public.
Reuters

Liberals also need to put their own house in order. “In general, conspiracy theories are most prevalent among groups that feel shut out of power,” Olmsted says. Thus, “in the 1940s, when Franklin D. Roosevelt was phenomenally popular, right-wingers were convinced that he deliberately provoked the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor. In the 1990s, the militias and other right-wingers — notably Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh — believed that Bill Clinton was going to take away their guns and bring about a new world order.” But during “the Bush administration, the 9/11 Truth movement members, who suggested that Bush officials either knew about or actually executed the terrorist attacks, were the most organized and vociferous conspiracy theorists.”

The 9/11 Truth movement’s website is reminiscent of the Kennedy assassination conspiracy theories, which have flourished for decades. That site features one headline promising readers a list of the “Top 40 Reasons to Doubt the Official Story of September 11th, 2001.” Some anti-Bush activists claimed that hijacked airliners weren’t responsible for destroying the World Trade Center towers; cruise missiles, drones and bombs hidden in the Twin Towers’ air ducts by the U.S. government were actually the cause of the catastrophe. The Bush White House wanted an excuse to launch invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, conspiracists charged.

These theories — patently absurd, to be sure — have garnered surprisingly widespread support from certain segments of the American public. Polls show that 36 percent of the American people concluded that the Bush administration planned the attacks of Sept. 11 or that they knew that the attacks were imminent and refused to prevent them from occurring. And more than 50 percent of 18-to-29-year-olds subscribe to these theories about Bush’s hand in Sept. 11, according to “Real Enemies.”

“Now that a Democrat is in power, it makes sense that the energy [among conspiracy theorists] is shifting to the right,” Olmsted wrote to me in an e-mail. Moreover, her take on where we are heading should give Americans cause for vigilance. “And this particular Democrat is black and has a middle name that is associated with America’s current enemies. Like the mid-1990s, it’s a historical moment made for right-wing conspiracy theories.”

Both Democrats and Republicans should follow in Reagan’s steps and reject and denounce left- and right-wing conspiracy theorists alike — and cut the birther movement off in its tracks.

Matthew Dallek, a visiting scholar at the Bipartisan Policy Center, teaches at the University of California Washington Center.

Readers' Comments (440)

I don't think a reliable scientific poll would show a sizable share of the American public supporting conspiracy theories that former Pres. Bush caused the 9/11 tragedy. Most people who detest him do so because he was lazy and inept. So, Dallek is making a false equivalency between the birthers and 9/11 conspiracy theorists. One is a significant part of a political party, ie., the GOP. The other is not. Few liberals believe the Bush administration caused the plane crashes. We do believe he knew there was no WMD in Iraq.

Actually, the birthers are more grounded in racist Right Wing movements than in typical conspiracy theorizing, which tends to focus on the traditionally powerful, not minorities.

I don't think a reliable scientific poll would show a sizable share of the American public supporting conspiracy theories that former Pres. Bush caused the 9/11 tragedy. Most people who detest him do so because he was lazy and inept. So, Dallek is making a false equivalency between the birthers and 9/11 conspiracy theorists. One is a significant part of a political party, ie., the GOP. The other is not. Few liberals believe the Bush administration caused the plane crashes. We do believe he knew there was no WMD in Iraq.

Actually, the birthers are more grounded in racist Right Wing movements than in typical conspiracy theorizing, which tends to focus on the traditionally powerful, not minorities.

It's great to see liberals, who fancy themselves as dandy intellectuals, trip over their own lack of common sense.

Here, we have the X-Files birth certificate story, custom tailored to make conservatives look like idiots, perpetuated by the fact that no one has actually seen a birth certificate, fast becoming an American icon for the Obama administration's ruse of transparency.

Until Obozo shows his ORIGINAL Birth Cert. AND His Collage Financial aid Papers, This WILL NOT Go Away... Why DOESN'T He Show Them? Inquiring minds want to know.....Must Be Feeling the HEAT....Keep holding his Toes to the Fire......

Until Obozo shows his ORIGINAL Birth Cert. AND His Collage Financial aid Papers, This WILL NOT Go Away... Why DOESN'T He Show Them? Inquiring minds want to know.....Must Be Feeling the HEAT....Keep holding his Toes to the Fire......

President Obama has provided the necessary bc to the necessary people who verified that he is in fact a US citizen. Even if President Obama provided his bc (again) you people would howl that it was a fake.

I think the "birther movement" should be instead called the "bitter movement" (or the bm'ers for short). Seems more suitable.

Cheney and Rumsfeld, with others, created the Project for a New American Century (PNAC) in the 90s. Their main goal was for the US to invade Iraq. They tried to get Clinton to do it but he refused. The principle PNAC document from 1996 laments that the American people would doubtless refuse to allow the desired invasion to occur.....that is, unless.... Unless, says the document, we were to have a "new Pearl Harbor", a surprise attack that would frighten Americans into OKing an invasion of Iraq.

So bush gets into office, legitimately or not, and is warned repeatedly about al Qaeda and bin Laden, most famously in the "Bin Laden Determined To Strike In US" NIE report, which the bush administration completely ignored. (bush himself remained on vacation in response.) No meetings, no hardening of the airports, no stepped-up security or intelligence. Nothing.

Then guess what! On September 11, not even eight months into the new administration, a "new Pearl Harbor" actually occurs! And what is America's response? We invade Iraq!

How can you compare people who find the above scenario suspicious to the Birthers, who deny overwhelming evidence opposing their view? Where is the overwhelming evidence to show that bush and cheney did not allow 9/11 to happen on purpose to further the PNAC agenda? The comparison is disturbing to me.

Don't you folks realize that he has the highest secret clearance in the nation???? Don't you suppose the folks who are tasked with granting clearances have thoroughly checked his background???? Birthers seem to know more than the professionals who do this every day for thousands of military personnel and civilian contractors, and all off of whatever limited info they got off the internet. That takes a lot of gall.

This issue has more to do with Alinski's 'rules for radicals', working to undermine Obama's legitimacy. All you have to do is inject a tiny bit of doubt and you've succeeded. What a slimy way to run a political process. Welcome to modern politics in supposedly the greatest democracy on earth. Birthers make a mockery of the democratic process, swiftboating to the extreme.

Even if he provided a freeze dried placenta with a "make in USA" sticker on it, Birthers will not be satisfied! The rest of us just need to move on.

Where is the overwhelming evidence to show that bush and cheney did not allow 9/11 to happen on purpose to further the PNAC agenda? The comparison is disturbing to me.

Sophlady: Jul. 30, 2009 - 6:04 AM EST

Most people who detest him do so because he was lazy and inept.

The right criticize the Obama administration for having said things like "never let a tragedy go to waste" when they took advantage of the biggest tragedy in several generations. I think the right may have had a hand in fanning the extreme 9/11 conspiracies, simply to help paint those who had suspicions of the connection between 9/11 and the war on Iraq as being extreme and looney. The issue of 9/11 and the Iraq war has never been able to get traction.

Conspiracy theorists should forget about O'Bama's lack of a birth certificate. What is more important is what conspiratorial group pushed him forward in the first place over the last three years when no one had ever heard of him, nor had he done anything anywhere of note. We have been sold a president sight unseen.

First, I could care less what color, religion, or name a person has and do not side with any political party or social movement. Having said that, I've been doing a little digging about this whole thing and found some interesting things. According to Kenyan law all children born to Kenyan men are there by Kenyan citizens. Obama had dual citizenship if/when he was born(I only say "if" because of question of legitimate documents and can't comment on that for certainty, although probable). If that person is not a resident of Kenya or say they wish to retain their citizenship by the age 21 they are then no longer a Kenyan citizen. OK he is no longer a Kenyan citizen; problem solved since I know of no US law that prohibits a President from ever holding dual citizenship and actually allows people to hold dual citizenship unless the other country doesn't. Now, at age 5 or 6 Obama moved to Indonesia with his mother and she married an Indonesian man. Indonesian law prohibits non-citizens from attending public school and doesn't recognize dual citizenship. Obama at first attended private school only to later attend public school with his step fathers name. In order to do that Obama had to be legally adopted and thereby lost his US citizenship since Indonesia doesn't recognize dual citizenship; hence US law follows suit and doesn't consider Obama a US citizen. At age 20 Obama travelled to Pakistan, during a time when it was a Dictatorship and US citizens would have had a difficult, if not impossible, time in travelling there, so he is believed to have used an Indonesian passport. And that is where I stopped. The answer to the question is not as black and white as saying he was born here. I'm not saying that Obama is or is not a legal President, I'm just saying that I honestly don't know and am awaiting some of the several lawsuits to conclude or Obama himself release all records of everything he has done(college transcripts, citizenship documents, passports and such). Hardly am I a conspiracy theorist or right wing nut(for your Gods sake I'm an athiest); there is just to much easily acquired information out there that needs clarifaction. I'm fully open to the possibilty I have misinterpreted the laws of all countries involved but, to lump all doubt together as pathological is incredibly irresponsible and only adds to doubt. Is there a lawyer out there who is familar with US and foriegn law pertaining to citizenship that can better answer the question than some blogger or political pundit masking as a journalist?

Until Obozo shows his ORIGINAL Birth Cert. AND His Collage Financial aid Papers, This WILL NOT Go Away... Why DOESN'T He Show Them? Inquiring minds want to know.....Must Be Feeling the HEAT....Keep holding his Toes to the Fire......

I tell you what my conservative friend...you produce Bush's national guard attendance records and Cheney's list of 400 executives he had at that energy meetings....and I will produce Obama's long form birth certificate....oh by they way....you had eight years....maybe in eight years..Obama will produce his birth certificate...you know the one that has been seen by the republican governor of Hawaii.

i won't resort to name calling(Obozo) because it would be too easy...have a great day.

Conspiracy theorists should forget about O'Bama's lack of a birth certificate. What is more important is what conspiratorial group pushed him forward in the first place over the last three years when no one had ever heard of him, nor had he done anything anywhere of note. We have been sold a president sight unseen.

So what you're saying is you do not believe in democracy? Anyone who is an American citizen and is over 35 years of age can run for president. Candidates are selected in primaries then voters vote on which candidate they want. Do you have a problem with that? Why?

I don't see the big deal. If he is truly an American citizen then there should be no problem to show his birth certificate and get it verified that it is legitimate. A small price to pay to apease the American people. JUST DO IT!

I didn't read the rest of your silly azz rant because the line above shows your own ignorance. Since when does Kenyan law trump US law? Point that out in the Constitution moron......

Maybe you should have read the rest of my so-called rant and then perhaps google Kenyan Constitution and maybe even Indonesian Constitution before claiming moron; is that the "point out" that you meant? Did you know that moron used to be a scientific term used to classify a person according to their IQ score? I doubt you did so let me asure you my IQ score is far above that and if my blood pressure ever reached it I would be dead. That means pretty high in case you have no idea what blood pressure is. In fact, if an average persons score is 80 to 100 and mentally disabled is below 50, and if you're average than compared to me you are mentally disabled. But lucky for you I don't put much stock in a test designed to determine stupidity although I do find a great many fools to my left and right. So if you can read and understand the rest of my previous comment do so; if not keep quite and let the grown ups talk.

Conspiracy theorists should forget about O'Bama's lack of a birth certificate. What is more important is what conspiratorial group pushed him forward in the first place over the last three years when no one had ever heard of him, nor had he done anything anywhere of note. We have been sold a president sight unseen.

So what you're saying is you do not believe in democracy? Anyone who is an American citizen and is over 35 years of age can run for president. Candidates are selected in primaries then voters vote on which candidate they want. Do you have a problem with that? Why?

You're making quite a leap here; almost out the window. I think what he is saying is that the public didn't have enough information about him to propperly judge whether he was worthy of the office. Perhaps they voted too much on hope, and disgust at the last administration, than on actual, proven, accomplishments and ability; hearts instead of heads. But that is just what is sounds like to me.

I think what he is saying is that the public didn't have enough information about him to propperly judge whether he was worthy of the office.

Didn't have enough information on him? Even after writing two very detailed books about his life? The same people who are whining about not having enough information on Obama after four years on the national stage certainly didn't have any problems putting complete trust in Sarah Palin after ONE convention speech.